Books
“The Stars in April,” by Childress Ink Author Peggy Wirgau, Wins 2023 Christian Indie Award, Second Place, Young Adult
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Southern Christian Writers Conference Notable Book Award
American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Book-of-the-Month
Literary Titan Book Award
Page-Turner Award Longlist Finalist
Selah Award Finalist
2023 Christian Indie Award, Second Place, Young Adult
“The Stars in April” by Peggy Wirgau has won second place in the 2023 Christian Indie Awards, in the Young Adult category.
Honoring Christian books by independent authors and small publishers for outstanding contribution to Christian life, the Christian Indie Awards are given annually by the Christian Indie Publishing Association (CIPA).
Since its publication, the book has been featured in MTL Magazine, Girls’ Life “Must-Read,” and more. The book also won Cover of the Week in Cover Wars 2021, and was a featured title at the Fall Christian Product Expo 2021. Author Peggy Wirgau has been a featured speaker at the Titanic Conference (#TitanicCon) in Pigeon Forge, TN, and a featured author at the Titanic Museum Attraction, also in Pigeon Forge, TN.
“Centered on a historic event that so many find interesting, The Stars in April is an incredible book for readers of all ages, and we knew retailers would be intrigued,” says Bradley Isbell, Director of Operations for Iron Stream Media, New Hope Publishers and Life Bible Study.
“Knowing the time and meticulous research that Peggy Wirgau put into this book, I am simply so pleased to see it receiving such praise and accolades,” says Literary Agent Kim Childress. “Even more affirming are letters received from readers young and old, who have been moved by the work, including readers who knew the real Ruth Becker.”
The School Library Journal Starred Review brought the book to the attention of educators, and The Stars in April is now being used in classroom curriculum. The book also includes photographs of the Titanic and people in the story, details on what happened to them later, questions for discussion, and a free curriculum guide available for download from the author’s website. “We absolutely loved it,” states a sixth grade teacher at Our Shepherd Lutheran School in Birmingham, MI. “Near the end, I was so teary that I had to hand off the read-aloud to a student while I regained my voice. After the final sentence was read, the class erupted in spontaneous applause.”
The Stars in April is historical fiction based on the true story of teen Titanic survivor, Ruth Becker, published in 2021 with IlluminateYA, an imprint of Iron Stream Media. The book continues to be a favorite with guests at Titanic museums and events, including the Titanic Museum Attraction, where an expanded Children’s Gallery honors the children aboard the ship.
Peggy Wirgau will be among 120 authors signing books at the Historical Novel Society conference this June in San Antonio, TX.
About
Peggy Wirgau loves bringing history to life for readers and has written for Appleseeds, Insight, Learning Through History, and contributed to Why? Titanic Moments, by Yvonne Lehman. Her blog features in-depth Titanic stories, and her followers include descendants of the ship’s real-life victims and survivors. A graduate of Michigan State University and George Mason University, Peggy is an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and Great Lakes Titanic Connection. She loves to travel, especially to New York City and Mackinac Island, Michigan, where she explores historical sites. Peggy is also a Registered Nurse. A Michigan native, she and her husband have lived in Florida, and now Colorado. They have two adult children and two grandchildren. To learn more visit PeggyWirgau.com.
Christian Indie Publishing Association (CIPA)
Christian Indie Publishing Association (CIPA) was created in 2004, and their annual Christian Indie Awards recognize Christian books by independent authors and small publishers for outstanding contribution to Christian life. Beginning May 1, all 2023 award-winning books will be shared on the Christian Indie Award website (www.christianaward.com), in the CIPA blog (https://christianpublishers.net/blog/), and in the Christian Indie Publishing Journal, as well as in press releases to over 1400 Christian media outlets.
Childress Ink
Childress Ink seeks out and shares books of excellence and guides authors in their craft. Founded by Kim Childress, learn more at ChildressInk.com.
“The Stars in April” by Peggy Wirgau, IlluminateYA Fiction/Iron Stream Media, 2021
ISBN: 9781645263074 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 9781645263067 (Softcover)
Amazon Audible, narrated by Krystal Hammond
For press-related inquiries, please contact Kim McCulla at Kim.McCulla@IronStreamMedia.com.
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Rick Larnerd has published a new novel, "The Mystery of Gasparilla Bay," that sets a present-day Florida conservation story against the backdrop of the Jose Gaspar pirate legend. The book is out now through Covenant Books, available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and the Apple iTunes Store.
The novel follows Andy Warden, a Florida conservation officer, as he tracks an alligator poacher named Bart Thibodeaux through the state’s backwaters and bayous. According to the publisher, Thibodeaux’s pursuit of illegal game takes a dangerous turn when he takes a vacationing mother and her two children hostage while she is treasure hunting along the Gulf Coast, a decision that sets the novel’s central chase in motion. The story threads in the real history of Jose Gaspar, the early nineteenth-century pirate whose reputed buried treasure along Florida’s Gulf Coast has drawn hunters and storytellers for generations.
Larnerd’s own background runs close to his protagonist’s. He spent thirty-one years in law enforcement, working as a wildlife officer in both Pennsylvania and Tennessee before serving eight years as chief of police in his Tennessee hometown. He also served as an active-duty infantryman. The publisher’s materials describe that experience as shaping the novel’s depiction of conservation work and the people who do it.
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Studio CarryOnHarry sees a natural hook here: a work authored by someone with thirty years of real law enforcement experience brings distinctive credibility to its fictional conservation officer protagonist than most adventure fiction manages.
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